Mid Suffolk

Mid Suffolk's population expanded in the decade leading up to the most recent census. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion and work life.

The population reached nearly 97,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Mid Suffolk increased by 11%, from just over 86,800 to 96,700.

The addition of just under 9,900 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Mid Suffolk was home to, on average, 0.79 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was lower than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in private renting

Census 2011 data also show a housing tenure change in Mid Suffolk.

The percentage of households in Mid Suffolk that rented privately increased from 8.4% in 2001 to 11% in 2011.

In 2011, just over one in nine (11%) households lived in social housing, compared with 12% in 2001. The percentage of Mid Suffolk households that owner their home decreased from 77% to 75%.

The proportion of privately rented homes decreased faster here than in any other local authority district across Eastof England. But despite the improvement, Mid Suffolk remained less healthy than the regional average 15% in Eastof England described their health as good in 2011).

Private renting in Mid Suffolk increased by 2.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in Mid Suffolk, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

More adults are separated from partners

This area saw Eastof England's largest rise in the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner.

Across the region, Tendring saw the next largest increase in the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner (from 11% in 2001 to 13% in 2011).

During this period, Mid Suffolk went from having the 41st-highest to the 18th-lowest percentage of people who had divorced or separated out of 309 English local authority areas.

In 2011, just over one in nine (11%) people aged 16 and over in Mid Suffolk said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner, compared with 9.2% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 60% to 57%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Changing work life

The rate of unemployment increased in Mid Suffolk, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in Eastof England, except Cambridge.

Every local authority area across Eastof England saw a rise in the proportion of unemployed people, as the regional average grew from 2.6% to 3.8%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.6%) people aged 16 to 74 in Mid Suffolk said they were unemployed, compared with 2.0% in 2001. The percentage that were employed decreased from 55% to 54%.

The rate of unemployment was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that that said they were unemployed across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Mid Suffolk

The number of people in Mid Suffolk that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 13,000 in 2001 to just under 27,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 15% to 28% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Mid Suffolk that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 67,000 in 2001 to about 62,000 in 2011 (from 77% to 64%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just over 6,500 to about 7,500 (from 7.5% to 7.8%).

About 330 people (0.3%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from about 230 in 2001 (0.3%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Mid Suffolk increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Mid Suffolk by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Mid Suffolk working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 17% to 14% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (2.9%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.0% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 15% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Mid Suffolk decreased by 3.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Mid Suffolk, Eastof England and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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